Acclamator-Class Troopship
The Acclamator-class troopship was a transport and capital ship initially used by the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars, and was one of the earliest predecessors of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Description Dimensions The Acclamator-class troopship was 52-meters long, 460 meters in width, and 200 meters in height. It was tasked with carrying troops, as well a vehicles, and being capable of engaging other starships in battle. The troopship was designed break blockades, assault enemy systems, and land troops on the battlefield. The ship was designed as a dagger due to it's effectiveness, and would shape Imperial ships for decades to come. The underside of the troopship was dominated by a large assault hangar used for of offloading an entire legion of clone troopers and their vehicles in short order. Most of the passenger and barrack decks were located on the upper levels of the ship. The bridge was located in the middle of an arrow-shaped command tower module that extended forward from the dorsal superstructure. This tower module was a standard design for smaller ships built for Kaut Drive Yard's catalog, which Rothana supplied vessels to. The main bridge and command center had no windows but relied upon advanced holoscreens shaped like the triangular viewports similar to the ones on other Kuat vessels. The bridge crew usually consisted of fully-armored clone pilots manning the control panels, with most operators being seated in twin crew pits below the command officer's area. Sensor and communications suites were located at the front of the ship's command tower. Carried forces Acclamator-class troopships were capable of carrying 16,000 clone troopers, the equivalent of an entire legion and it's support personnel. They also carried 80 aircraft or spacecraft and 84 armored vehicles, such as AT-TE and SPHA walkers. These were used to provide clone invasion forces with heavy fire support. These troopships were used for ground landing and water landings, as displayed at the Battle of Mon Calamari. Each troopship carried 320 speeder bikes, used for reconnaissance and patrol. 80 LAAT Gunships, of which 66 were infantry gunships and 14 were vehicle carriers, were carried to land troops and vehicles on to the battlefield rapidly, as well as provide close air support. Gunships were suspended along an overhead circulating rail in the upper hangar for during the troopship's embarkation. A lower, smaller hangar area was used to embark and disembark ground troops and material via a large ramp when landed. The two levels were connected with elevator platforms. Offensive and defensive systems These ships were armed with 4 heavy torpedo launch tubes; 24 point-defense cannons, rated at 6 megatons per shot; and 12 quad turbolaser turrets, each rated at a maximum of 200 gigatons per shot. The hull armor of Acclamator-class vessels was impregnated with ultra-dispersive neutronium that withstood and spread massive energy blasts. Fusion rockets fired by enemy forces barely made a scratch on the hull as a result. Large groups of these ships could perform an orbital bombardment leveling an entire planet and exterminating all life on it. The later Acclamator-II model was built primarily for orbital bombardment, and its troop and vehicle capacity was reduced as a result. The Acclamator-II was first used during the late stages of the Clone Wars. Propulsion systems The Acclamator-class's main reactor was located in the middle of the vessel, inside the main superstructure, and was preceded at the front half of the ship by multiple fuel tanks. The tanks compressed hypermatter to enormous density for storage. The tanks were connected to the main reactor via pipe assemblies. Secondary reactors were located towards the bow of the vessel. The ship's main thrusters were fitted with eight electromagnetic rudders that deflected the exhaust particle streams and gave boost when turning the ship. The secondary thrusters did not provide as much power, but were useful for maneuvering due to being placed further away from the ship's main axis. The massive fin at the stern of the Acclamator-class contained both the anti-gravity generator and the ship's hyperdrive generator. When landed, the repulsorlift carried much of the ship's weight, but the landing legs maintained a stable contact with the ground. The massive hyperdrive generator took up some two hundred meters of the ship's length, and allowed a sustained hyperspace cruising speed of Class 0.6. History The Clone Wars The Acclamator-class design was already in development by Rothana and Kuat years before the start of the Clone Wars, and the design was tested as early as 32 BBY. As the Jedi Master Yoda arrived on Kamino to gather an invasion force, dozens of troopships had already been built and readied for the Clone Army. In their first engagement at the Battle of Geonosis, the class proved pivotal in the Republic victory, delivering legions of clone troopers to the battlefield while a large Republic fleet engaged the Separatist fleet in orbit. After delivering their troops, the Acclamators pulled back to provide orbital support, with only a portion of the ships ending up damaged in the battle. Just after the battle had concluded, the Republic ordered 1,000 more Acclamators, based on their success as primary ground force delivery vehicles. All Acclamators were completely crewed by clones, though they would also count regular Republic officers among their crews, as the war ground on. Apart from this, the Acclamators and larger warships were generally off-limits to most regular defense force personnel. Later in the war, some Acclamators had the paint markings of the Open Circle Fleet like the Venators-class star destroyers. Several different variations were used during the war, with the Acclamator II-class assault ship being the most numerous alternate model. The subclasses saw many battles in both the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War. Many were operated to act as mobile depot ships or dedicated clone commando carriers. For the Battle of Muunilinst, the troopship Nevoota Bee was modified as a carrier, with her hangar decks used to hold holding 156 V-19 Torrent starfighters. The Victory-class and other Star Destroyers were based on the Acclamator. Later service In addition to being a warship and a military transport, some Imperial Acclamators were used as slave ships, transporting large quantities of enslaved people to various Imperial penal colonies during the Galactic Civil War. The Empire also modified many Acclamators, sacrificing weaponry to increase cargo capacity for use as Imperial cargo ships. Some fell into the hands of criminal groups such as the Zann Consortium. The Empire continued to use them as of Operation Shadow Hand, when the reborn Emperor Palpatine tried to retake control of the core. By 13 ABY, an Acclamator was located in the headquarters base of the Restored Empire splinter faction of the Empire. They were even used well into the Yuuzhan Vong War.